Motherhood is Murder(27)

“This is Amanda. You can put Laurie on the playmat with her when she wakes up. Amanda loves company.”

At that moment Amanda squeezed a cow on the play station. A high-pitched rendition of “Old MacDonald” started playing.

I nodded, nestling Laurie’s car seat next to my chair as I took a seat by the window. “Great. I’m sure she’ll love all the colors and sounds.”

If they don’t wake her immediately.

“Probably too little for it still. Amanda just started playing in it a few weeks ago. She’s six months now,” Sara said.

“Is she your first?”

Sara nodded.

“So you joined Roo & You a few months ago after Amanda was born?”

Sara looked up toward the ceiling as if trying to recall the actual date. “Let’s see. I joined, more or less, unofficially before she was born. Because I knew Margaret from across the street, the others were always hanging out at her place. So when I was about six months pregnant and full of baby questions, I started attending the playdates.” She indicated my car through the front window. “I see that you spoke with Margaret already.”

I turned to look out the window and could plainly see my Chevy parked in Margaret’s driveway. “Yeah. I didn’t know you two were neighbors until Evelyn mentioned it the other day.”

At the mention of Evelyn’s name, anger flashed across Sara’s eyes and she glanced toward Amanda.

After a moment, she said, “I’ve lived here about four years. We’re a tight group of neighbors. Watch each other’s dogs when we vacation and pick up mail. That sort of thing.”

I looked around for signs of a dog but didn’t see any. Maybe Sara was only a dog watcher.

“Margaret befriended me immediately when I moved in. Which was great, because coming from the East Coast, I didn’t know a lot of people and Howard works a lot. He’s a general contractor. It was nice to have a friend right away.”

“She’s very nice. I imagine she’s been a good friend to have.”

Sara tilted her head and looked across the street thoughtfully. “Margaret is a good friend. Very trusting. She only sees the best in people. When she’s talking to you, it’s as if you’re the only other person in the world. She has a gift for making you feel special. The problem is she can be taken advantage of it and not know it. It’s hard for me to stand by and watch.”

“Taken advantage of how?”

Sara rolled up the sleeves of her wool sweater. “People use her. Helene was definitely what I would classify a taker. And Margaret is a giver. You can imagine what kind of relationship it was.”

“Margaret said Helene was her best friend.”

Sara sighed and shook her head in disapproval.

I waited in silence for her to continue, resisting the urge to check on Laurie and focusing only on Miss No-Nonsense. She seemed to like attention and I hoped it would urge her to open up to me.

Amanda played with some knobs on the playmat and squealed. Both Sara and I turned to her.

“She is so cute. I can’t wait until Laurie can sit up and play like that,” I said.

Sara smiled. “It won’t be long. Time flies. Amanda’s only been sitting since we started water acclamation class. I had no idea it would help with motor skill development.”

It did?

Water acclamation? Weren’t infants just getting used to being out of water?

I hated to ask, but I had to know.

“Where do you take classes?”

She looked down her nose at me. “La Petite Grenouille, of course. Aren’t you enrolled?”

“Uh. No. Not yet.”

I wasn’t born with a day timer in my hand, like you, Miss No-Nonsense. I’m sure you aren’t ever late for anything!

“They have a free trial class. You should really try and make it. Your daughter will enjoy it,” she said.

Eager to switch subjects, I said, “Sara, what can you tell me about that night on the cruise?”

She shrugged. “What’s to tell? You were there, too.”

“Do you recall being at the bar with Margaret, Helene, and their husbands?”

She frowned. “Well, sure. We were all at the bar.”

“Do you remember anything about a drink mix-up?”

“What do you mean? Like the bartender gave us the wrong drinks or something? I don’t really remember anything like that,” she said.

“No. I mean . . .”

Might as well come right out and ask it.

“Did you notice that maybe Helene and Margaret got their drinks switched? Like perhaps Helene drank Margaret’s drink?”

She shook her head. “No. I don’t remember anything like that.”

Okay, so no smoking gun.

I tried a different tack. “What can you tell me about your final exchange with Helene?”

Sara squinted. “There’s not much to tell. We were chatting on the deck then this lady bumped into me and spilled her drink. I left Helene on the deck and went to the restroom.”

The timing seemed off.

“Did you stop anywhere on the way?” I asked.

Sara titled her head, her brow furrowing. “I don’t remember.”

How could she not remember?

“When you got to the ladies’ room, you told me that the captain had called an all hands on deck.”